The Truth About the Balancing Act

Warning: Written while sleep-deprived and revision-impaired. Do not operate heavy machinery while reading this post.

It's tough to talk about struggling to find balance after Talia's post yesterday. I would say Talia and I are on opposite ends of the spectrum. For the past year, I've had the privilege of writing full-time. Before I go any further, I want to reiterate that it is a privilege. I'm very fortunate. It might not always be this way, and I don't for a moment take it for granted. Just over a year ago, I dreamt of being in this position. Dreamt about it. How many people can truly say they are living a dream? 

When I say I write, "full time," I mean it in a literal sense. For me, 2011 has been a sprint to complete Book One, and draft and revise Book Two. It's been a year of blogging, struggling to blog, tweeting, learning to market, trying to stay organized, trying to process what's happening, website... website... how hard is it to get a website together? Well, when you're doing a gazillion other things, and you hit a patch of bad luck, it's hard. 

My days are spent in front of the computer, and much of the time, I feel the world blowing around me, a separate force that I sneak glances of, here and there. Like Donna said, as a writer, I exist in my imagination. If any of you have read UNDER THE NEVER SKY, I exist in a Realm -- the Realm of my story world. My kids are growing up in fast-forward. (Older son today, after I filled out a field trip permission slip: "Thanks, Mom. Nice doing business with you.") My friends say I have disappeared ("I'm not going to call anymore, because I don't want to bother you. You call me when you can talk." Ouch.) My husband... he's around here somewhere, isn't he? Babe? Where are you? And groceries? Home-cooked meals? Myths from the past. Relics from another life. There is no time, and there is far too much to do.

And yet, the writing Realm is a beautiful place to exist, so many hours of the day. You writers out there know how it feels to write a great description. Find that exact shade of emotion--that subtle nuance that makes a scene, or a moment pop. We create worlds when we write. We mold them and mull over them and mold again, and then stand back and say, yes. That is what I believe. That is what is true.

I struggle every day to look up from the screen. I struggle to find time for the writing things, and the family things, and everything else. But I accept that there is no perfect in real life. And I remind myself to enjoy the teetering, tottering balancing act. It's the road, not the destination. The act of balancing, not balance itself. That is what I believe is true.

In other news....

MY BOOK COMES OUT IN ONE MONTH. 

Someone please resuscitate me. Thanks.

9 comments

I can so relate to all of this! But it's all worth it- the proof is in that beautiful book that will be out in ONE MONTH! AHHHHH!

Yet you make it all seem so easy, Veronica!

ONE MONTH! Get ready, world...

ONE MONTH??!! That is so crazy. I can't wait for the rest of the world to know the awesome that is UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

As for the balance, I hear you. I so hear you. And your inbox hears me all the time.

Thanks, you guys. Thanks. Technically, it's one month and two days, nine hours and seventeen minutes away. But who's counting?

It really is good to know that just about everyone struggles with the balancing act.

Yes, yes, the balancing writing/life advice is good...but ONE MONTH! I'm so looking forward to reading your book. I've heard so much about it, and now I will get to experience it!

Thank you, V. Especially for this: "We create worlds when we write. We mold them and mull over them and mold again, and then stand back and say, yes. That is what I believe. That is what is true." Beautiful.

Oh, and btw -- we're ALL counting!

Thank you Beth & Susan! Yes. One month. Now I think I start getting nervous : )

Yay for one more month until...
TADA!

Balancing act seems more like a juggling act where the juggler - that would be you, me, any writer committed to their writing passion - is handed two, maybe three safe things at first. Then along comes a Ginsu knife, then a bowling ball and then the situation is trumped with a Ming vase...all being juggled with out basic two hands.

Yeah...really trying to work on that "balancing" bit.

Angela, that's exactly the juggle. It's always unexpected, surprising, funny, scary. All those things. Juggling right there with you.

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